Counting
by kenziepaige8818
Summary: Mollie is a survivor from Woodbury who's been at the prison for a little over three months. She was quick to be accepted into the prison family. Michonne is her closest friend and a certain crossbow bearing badass has managed to catch her eye and her affections. Mollie likes Daryl and everyone knows it...except Daryl of course :P Spoilers up to Season 4!
1. Chapter 1

_Hey guys, it's been a while but I'm back! Walking Dead is my current love/obsession so I decided to start this fanfic. Hopefully people will like it (: Thanks to all readers and reviewers! I own nothing!_

Chapter 1

Counting. It had always seemed so trivial. Now, numbers were immensely important. 1,113 days since the world had gone to shit. 1,106 days since I'd lost my sister. 97 days since I'd left Woodbury and joined the group of survivors at the prison. 20 minutes that I'd been waiting for Daryl for my crossbow lesson. Where the hell was he?

"Hey Mollie, what are you doing out here?"

I turned to see Carl standing there, clad in his old man's hat as always.

"I'm waiting for Daryl, have you seen him?" I questioned back.

"Yeah, he's helping my dad out with something. I'm sure he'll be here soon." Carl replied.

He sure was a cute kid, but I'd seen him in action. He was a little badass.

"I hope so. What are you up to?" I asked him.

"Just going to feed the pigs, wanna come with?" he offered.

I shook my head, "No thanks. I'll catch up with you later though."

"Alright, see ya." Carl said.

Seriously, what the hell was taking Daryl so long?

Another five minutes of waiting. I was just about to head back to my cell, when I heard some rustling behind me. My hand instinctively went to the holster around my waist, where my gun was concealed. I prepared for the worst. A figure emerged, it was...

"Michonne?! You scared the shit out of me!" I scolded her.

She was laughing too hard to speak.

"Damn it, don't do that!" I shouted.

She was the closest thing I had to a best friend, but I could just kill her sometimes.

"Hey, it's your fault for standing out here all by yourself. What the hell are you doing out here anyway?" Michonne queried, recovering from her laugh attack.

"I was waiting for Daryl, but he's taking forever." I answered, agitation evident in my voice.

"I see, you guys got a date or something?" Michonne teased.

"No! He found an extra crossbow and he's gonna teach me how to use it." I informed her.

"Oh okay. You do like him though don't you? I've seen the way you look at him." she pressed.

Just then I saw Daryl striding towards us. Holy shit, he was so fucking gorgeous. I suddenly became a high school girl again.

"Michonne shut up, he's coming over here." I told her.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. Rick needed help with somethin'. You ready for your lesson?" Daryl inquired.

Oh God yes.

"Yeah, let's do this." I answered, trying not to sound too eager.

"Well, I'll leave you guys to it. Mollie, come find me later. Rick wants us to clear out the walkers that are building outside the fences." Michonne expressed, becoming her serious self once again.

"All right, will do. See ya later." I said.

Okay, lesson time. I was more than ready.

Although being able to use a gun or knife was an important skill, I genuinely wanted to learn my way around a crossbow. I also wanted to learn my way around Daryl, but that wasn't something that just happened over night. Unfortunately for me.

"Hey, you cut your hair?" Daryl asked me as he readied his weapon.

I wondered if he was going to notice.

"Yeah, it's more manageable this way." I replied, running a hand through it.

"And practical too, it looks good. Alright, I'm gonna hit that post over there. Just watch what I do, and then it's gonna be your turn." he explained.

Daryl took aim and sent the arrow straight into the wood. His archery skills never ceased to impress me.

"Okay Mollie, now it's your shot." he voiced as he handed me the other crossbow.

I sighed, how hard could it be?

_So there's chapter one, hope you guys like it (: I'll try to update soon. Thanks again to anyone that reads, reviews, favorites, or alerts this story. Happy reading!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Here's chapter 2, I still own nothing!_

Chapter 2

Son of a bitch, how did Dixon make this look so easy? This shit was fucking hard! I think I'd failed miserably three times in a row now.

"Harder than it looks isn't it?"

"Yes! How the hell do you do it Dixon?" I queried back.

Daryl chuckled, "Lots of practice. Don't get too upset, it's only your fourth try."

Two more tries, no dice.

"Damn it, I suck." I stated, frustration starting to get the best of me.

"Don't be so quick to give up, you're still learnin'. Here, let me see if I can help."

Next thing I knew, Daryl was behind me and he was positioning my arms to take the shot. Seriously, this was supposed to help me concentrate? If anything I was more distracted.

"Daryl, I'm not so sure about this." I started nervously.

"Come on Moll, you're doing fine. Your arms are good, now you just gotta fix your stance." he conveyed as he moved his hands down to my waist.

My whole body tensed up. No way I was going to be able to shoot this arrow now.

"Just relax, you're almost there. Now, take a deep breath and release as you let it out." Daryl instructed, his warm breath tickling the back of my neck.

I did as told, and miraculously the arrow hit its mark. I turned to Daryl, my whole face beaming, "I did it!"

He smiled back, a rare occurrence.

"That was good, real good. Now do it again. Without me this time."

Ah fuck.

I had to take a minute to clear my head before taking another shot. Daryl's hands on my body had been enough to send my thoughts into spiraling disarray.

"Hey Mollie, you alright? Kinda lost ya for a second there." Daryl said.

"Yeah, sorry. I just needed a minute to get ready." I somewhat lied.

Daryl just gestured toward the post. Okay, I could do this. Maybe. I set up for the shot just like Daryl had just taught me. Took a deep breath, and let the arrow fly. I was extremely surprised when I heard it strike the wood once again. I was absolutely giddy.

"Thatta girl, told ya you had it in you." Daryl commended me.

"I guess I did. Man that felt amazing!" I exclaimed happily.

He gave me one of his adorable half smiles and pointed at the post.

"Again." he insisted.

I knew there was no point in fighting Daryl on this, so I just took aim and fired. Once again the arrow hit its mark. Damn this felt good.

"Okay, enough practice. Time to do this for real." Daryl voiced, heading towards the back of the prison.

"Hell yeah, wait, what?!" I demanded as I ran after him.

I did not like where this was going at all.

"Daryl, what the hell are we doing?" I questioned anxiously.

"There's a handful of walkers around the back. We're gonna take em' out." he informed me.

"Oh okay, well that's simple enough." I said as I pulled out my gun.

"Not so fast Mollie, you're gonna use the bow."

We had rounded the corner now. There were about four geeks just milling about. Say what? No I was not going to use the bow. A wooden post was one thing, but walkers? No fucking way.

"Are you out of your damn mind Dixon?!" I hissed at him, not wanting to draw attention.

"Come on Moll, you can do this. The only thing that's different is your target's moving now." Daryl encouraged me.

I took a quick glance at the nearest walker. I guess I had to try. I hit it in the shoulder, which only made it mad. The walker started towards me, I was now its target.

"Shit." I said under my breath as I loaded another arrow into the crossbow.

I didn't know if it was survival instinct or because Daryl was watching me or what, but this time I didn't miss. My arrow sailed right into his left eye. I turned to Daryl. He gave me a nod of approval. I targeted a second walker and took it out with ease. The third one didn't give me much trouble either. I could've sworn there were four. Hmm, guess I miscounted. I slung the crossbow on my back and strolled over to Daryl.

"Wow, that was exhilarating." I expressed, feeling sky high.

"You did good, I'm proud of ya. But you're forgetting something."

"And that would be?" I queried, not having a clue.

Daryl sighed, "Your arrows Mollie. You gotta retrieve your arrows."

So go over there and pull them out of the walkers? Fuck that shit.

_Well, I hope you enjoyed (: Thanks again to all readers, reviewers, favoriters, and followers, you're the best!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey readers, hope you're all doing well (: Here's chapter 3, still own nothing!_

Chapter 3

Unfortunately, Daryl was extremely persistent about this. All the biters were dead, so what was the worst that could happen? I finally gave in and approached the closest body. I took a deep breath before removing the arrow from its eye. Nothing happened. I repeated this process with the other two walkers. Well that wasn't so bad. Suddenly something latched onto me from behind. I heard the snarling and my heart sank. It was the fourth walker.

"Fuck! Daryl!" I cried out as I desperately tried to shake off the biter.

I prepared for that life ending chomp, but it didn't come. Daryl grabbed that son of a bitch and pried him off of me. Part of my shirt was torn off in the process, but all I cared about was being alive. Daryl proceeded to stab the geek in the brain repeatedly until he was good and dead. I was breathing rapidly and trying hard not to cry. Daryl approached me and touched my cheek with his fingertips. I saw worry in his eyes as he looked me over.

"The ugly bastard tore your shirt, but he didn't bite ya." he stated, relief flooding his face.

What he did next was completely unexpected. Daryl pulled me to him in a hug.

"Thank you." I mumbled against his chest.

"Anytime. Just don't expect me to make a habit of it." he teased as he released me from his embrace.

"Oh no, never. I better go find Michonne. Last thing I need is Rick riding my ass." I told him.

"Yeah, you better go. We'll shoot more tomorrow."

"Alright, sounds good." I said, getting ready to head off.

"Oh and Mollie, one more thing." Daryl interjected.

"Yeah what's up?" I inquired.

"You might want to change your shirt first, your bra's kinda on display." he replied, indicating where the fabric was missing.

"Damn it!" I shouted, running towards the cell block and holding my shirt closed at the same time.

I could hear Daryl chuckling behind me all the while. Asshole.

Michonne was in her cell playing with Judith when I arrived.

"Whoa, what the hell happened to you? Daryl do that?" she questioned, pointing at my shirt.

"What, no! I got attacked by a lurker." I answered, feeling my cheeks heat at the thought.

"You got attacked?! Are you okay? Did you get bit?" Michonne asked frantically.

"No, I'm fine. Luckily Daryl was there to save my ass." I assured her.

"Well I'm glad you're okay. Cause now we got work to do, you up for it?"

"Yeah, just let me change real quick." I replied, slipping into my cell next door.

Man, I really liked this shirt too. Fucking walkers. I put on the first top I could find and then went back to Michonne's cell. Beth was there to take Judith from her.

"Hey Mollie, your hair looks good." she greeted me.

"Thanks Beth." I said back.

"I bet Daryl liked it too." she added.

Her and Michonne giggled.

"Shut up you two. Michonne, give her the baby and let's go." I snapped, tiring of all the teasing.

Michonne just laughed and handed off Judith before following me outside.

Rick wasn't kidding about walkers piling up around the fences. Those fuckers were everywhere.

"Holy shit, was there this many yesterday?" I asked Michonne in disbelief.

"No, they all gathered here in the night for some reason." she answered as she took a weapon off the fence.

I did the same and sighed, "Alright, let's have some fun."

_Thanks again to all readers! Hope you liked chapter 3, sorry it was kinda short._


	4. Chapter 4

_Hi guys! Hope you're all doing well (: Thank you so much to everyone that's reading/reviewing/favoriting/following this story, it means so much to me! I'm really enjoying writing this story and any feedback is greatly appreciated. Anyway, here's chapter 4! Still don't own anything._

Chapter 4

Michonne and I began taking them out one by one, but there was just so many. The knife I was using was already soaked in lurker blood and they were still coming up to the fence. Why wasn't Rick out here doing this himself? Lazy bastard.

"Hey, you guys want some help?"

I looked and saw that it was Maggie who had spoken.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks." was Michonne's instant response.

"No problem." Maggie said, grabbing a knife off of the fence.

"You and Glenn started making wedding plans yet?" I queried, trying to make conversation.

"Not yet, we really haven't talked about it much." she admitted.

"Right, stupid question. Sorry." I muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"What about you and Daryl, you two done the deed yet?" Maggie prodded.

"Oh my God, you too?!" I exclaimed as I drove the knife through yet another walker's skull.

"Come on Mollie, it's pretty obvious that you want him." Michonne piped up.

"I'll admit, he's an attractive man." I expressed, taking out another three biters.

"And, I think he wants you too." Maggie voiced.

"Well, I think you're both full of shit." I retorted.

We all looked back and forth at each other and busted out laughing. It was so nice to have friends in this shitty apocalyptic world.

The three of us spent another twenty minutes on the fence, and then Rick and Carl showed up to relieve us.

"Thanks for helping out Mollie. I know it must be really different from Woodbury." Rick conveyed.

"It is, but I'm happy to do everything I can to earn my place." I told him.

"Well I sure do appreciate it. We'll take over for now." he continued, taking the knife from me.

I liked Rick. Despite everything, he was a good guy. Way better than The Governor turned out to be.

"Thanks Rick, for everything." I said before heading off with Maggie and Michonne.

"I'm gonna go find Glenn, I'll see you girls later." Maggie announced, going off in search of her future husband.

"You going back to your cell?" Michonne questioned.

"Yeah, but first a shower." I replied as I attempted to wipe some of the blood off my face.

"Good idea, you look like shit."

I scoffed and gave Michonne a light shove. She returned the gesture and we were both laughing once again.

"Well you two sure seem to enjoying yourselves this evening."

I looked up, it was Hershel. Another person in this group that I liked.

"Hey Hershel, what are you up to?" I greeted him.

"Just out getting some fresh air. It's not good to stay cooped up in the prison all day." he explained.

"Mind if I join you? Mollie's going to go get cleaned up." Michonne requested.

"No, be my guest. I could always use some company." Hershel replied.

"I'll catch up with you later Moll." Michonne said before joining Hershel.

"Later Miche."

Surprisingly, I didn't run into anybody else on my way to the showers. I was more than ready to wash all of this blood off. And to have some time to myself. I stripped and stepped under the warm water. Oh hell yes. I scrubbed the blood off as best as I could, and then just stood there under the running water. Suddenly I heard someone else come in and turn on one of the sinks. The water started running cold. Temperature control was so sensitive here.

"Hey asshole, that shit's cold!" I yelled.

The sink stopped running, "Mollie?"

Fucking hell. I'm naked in the shower and Daryl Dixon chooses now to come in and use the sink! I turned off the shower and grabbed my robe that I'd managed to scavenge from Woodbury. Once I'd slipped it on, I stepped out into the open.

"Oh, hey, Daryl." I said, trying to act casual.

"Hey. You know, you didn't have to come out on my account. Not like I was gonna jump in there with ya." he joked, chuckling at the end.

I bit my lip so hard I thought it was going to bleed. Why did he have to say things like that?! I realized I hadn't said anything yet. Shit, say something dumbass.

"It's fine, I was about done anyway." I voiced.

"Well if you were trying to wipe off the blood you missed a spot." Daryl informed me.

"Really, where?" I inquired, looking myself over.

"C'mere I'll get it." he instructed.

I swear I was frozen to the spot, but my feet miraculously started moving. And then we were face to face. Daryl licked his right thumb and ran it over my nose until he had wiped the blood away. He lingered for a moment, just stroking my cheek. Oh my God kiss me. Just kiss me damn it! But he didn't and the moment was gone. I was left standing there by myself, full of want and need.

_So there was chapter 4, hope you all liked it! I'll try to post 5 sometime this weekend. Thanks again to all my lovely readers, you make my day (:_


	5. Chapter 5

_Hi everybody, hope you're all having a fantastic weekend! I'm so glad you all seem to be enjoying this story, having so much fun writing it :D Well here's chapter 5, enjoy! Still don't own anything._

Chapter 5

Pretty much everyone had turned in for the night by the time I got back to my cell. Even Michonne seemed to be asleep. That was fine by me. I was so fucking done with this day, it wasn't even funny. I tried my best to get some sleep, but I kept having the same recurring nightmare. That walker was on my back again, only Daryl wasn't there to save me. I had to experience each agonizing tear into my flesh, until I was granted the mercy of bleeding out. I'd never had a close call like that. Clearly my subconscious wasn't too crazy about it. At one point I jolted awake, sweating with my knife clutched in my hand, ready to strike. Michonne stood over me with a worried expression. I put my knife down as soon as I realized and ran a hand through my hair. Michonne dimmed her lantern and took a seat at the end of my cot.

"Nightmare?" she asked simply.

"Yeah, and it was recurring too so even better." I answered sarcastically.

"You wanna talk about it?" Michonne offered.

"I just got attacked by that walker again, except this time there was no one there to save me. So I kinda got eaten." I told her.

"Ooh, that's a bitch. We all have those dreams Mollie. To be honest, I think it's pretty normal at this point. I remember the first time I had one. It sucks, but you get through it." she supplied.

Wordlessly, Michonne got up from my cot and disappeared back into her cell. She reappeared a few moments later and laid out a blanket on the floor. Michonne laid down on it and turned off her lantern. And then I was finally able to get some sleep.

The next morning I was granted the privilege of sleeping in. This didn't happen very often so I was extremely grateful when it did. It must've been almost midday by the time someone came to wake me up.

"Mollie you awake?"

"I am now, what's up?" I queried as I sat up.

I was surprised to see Glenn standing in the doorway. He was almost always off with Maggie.

"Uh, Daryl's looking for you. Something about a shooting lesson."

"Oh shit." I said, jumping out of bed and throwing on some shoes.

"He wasn't mad or anything, just wanted to know where you were." Glenn expressed.

"Thanks Glenn, I appreciate it. I better go meet up with him before he really gets mad." I said as I strapped my holster around my waist.

He just said he'd catch up with me later and then went off down the walkway. Daryl was in the same place as yesterday.

"There you are, I was starting to get worried. Thought maybe you wouldn't show cause of yesterday." he voiced when he saw me.

Was he talking about the lesson or our exchange in the bathroom? Cause I had no fucking clue.

"Sorry, I just overslept. I kinda had a hard time sleeping last night, too many nightmares." I explained.

"Nightmares, what about?" he questioned.

"Just about what happened yesterday. Except you weren't there so I just kept dying over and over again." I replied, my voice quiet.

Daryl stepped closer to me, "Well, I was there. And if I can help it, I'm always gonna be there. So try not to worry."

I didn't know what to say to that so I just nodded and picked up my crossbow.

This lesson went a lot better than yesterday's. I didn't almost die. Daryl didn't almost give me a heart attack. And I didn't suck.

"Wow Mollie, looks like you've got the hang of it now." Daryl complimented me.

"Yeah, thanks to you." I said back.

"Nah, I just gave you the basics. Doesn't look like you'll be needing lessons anymore. The rest is kinda up to you." he informed me.

Aw man! Sure I would still see him around the prison, but it wouldn't be the same. Maybe I'd get lucky and we'd be sent on a run together or get paired up for fence duty.

"Well, thank you for this. I really appreciate it." I conveyed, trying to hide my frustration.

Daryl still seemed to detect it though.

"We'll still see each other though. Maybe I'll even walk in on you showering again." he said lightly.

"Yeah, don't do that." I insisted, but I couldn't help but laugh.

"No promises there." he quipped.

Just then Rick came running over to us.

"Daryl, I need you to take Glenn and Michonne and go on a run for me. Just a quick one."

Ugh stupid Rick and his shit timing.

"Can I take Mollie with me? Trust me, she can handle herself out there." Daryl requested.

He wanted me to go with him? Rick you better fucking say it's fine or I swear-

"Sorry Daryl, I need her here today." Rick told him.

You bastard. Daryl just nodded in understanding. Rick thanked him and then started back towards the cell block.

"Sorry Moll. I'll see ya when I get back?" Daryl inquired hopefully.

"Yeah, see ya later." I answered.

He just gave me one of his half smiles and took off towards the front gates. Somehow, I found myself chasing after him.

"Daryl, wait!" I called out.

He stopped and waited for me to catch up.

"Mollie, what is it? You alright?"

I didn't say anything. I just approached him and pressed my lips to his cheek.

"Just in case." I said softly.

His face definitely showed his surprise. But then.

"Just in case." he echoed.

I moved to step back, but Daryl reached out and cupped the side of my face.

"Just in case." he repeated.

And then his lips were on mine. Finally!

_Hope you all liked that ending (; As always, thanks to all readers/reviewers/favoriters/followers! _


	6. Chapter 6

_Hey everyone, hope you're all having a lovely week. The support that I've been getting for this story is crazy and your kindness never ceases to amaze me, so than you all so much! Hope you like chapter 6! Still don't own anything._

Chapter 6

The kiss didn't last long, but it was pretty clear that it wouldn't be our last. Not by a long shot.

"What the hell took you so long Dixon?" I asked when he pulled away, feeling dizzy.

"Don't know, guess I wasn't sure if you felt the same."

His hand was still cupping my face and he looked like he wanted to kiss me again.

"Daryl come on, there'll be time for that later!" Glenn shouted from the awaiting car.

"You better go." I voiced.

"Yeah. I'll come find you when I get back, check the showers first." was his cheeky response.

I laughed, "You're adorable. But you better get out of here before Glenn and Michonne kick your ass."

Daryl just kissed me again and then ran over to the car. I hated to let him go, but I knew he'd be back. And I couldn't wait until that time was here. Now to just figure out how to pass the time...

Rick had me covered there. One of the cell blocks needed to be cleared out and I got recruited to help. I didn't mind though cause I was in the best kinda mood. Plus I had Carl and Maggie with me so it shouldn't take too long.

"So, you and Daryl, it's finally happening huh?" were the first words out of Maggie's mouth.

"Yeah, I guess so." I replied, trying not to show my excitement.

Carl would've never stopped teasing me if I had. Even though I was probably twice his age, he still liked to give me a hard time. That's why he surprised me when he said, "I think you'll be good for him. My dad thinks so too."

"Aw, thanks Carl. That means a lot."

He just nodded as we rounded the corner to the cell block. There were quite a few walkers in here. Hopefully there weren't any surprises waiting for us.

We tool out the first out the first group of geeks with ease.

"Hey Mollie, what'd you do before all this?" Carl asked me as he pulled his knife out of one of the walker's skulls.

"I owned my own bookstore and did some writing on the side." I answered, reminiscing a little.

"Well, you'll a have a hell of a book to write once this is all over." Maggie expressed.

I laughed, there was a thought. If it was ever over... I could hear more lurkers nearby, but I couldn't tell how many. Maggie was the venture down the dark corridor. Carl and I followed closely behind. There were at least ten up ahead, if not more. I pulled my crossbow off my back and silently took out one of the walkers. Maggie took down another with her knife. The biters were stumbling towards us now. We killed as many as we could with our knives, but more came.

"Shit, there's too many. We need more people." Maggie stated, starting to retreat.

We followed her lead and started back towards the door. Suddenly I saw Carl go down. A walker had him by his foot. Without a second's hesitation, I sent an arrow through the bastard's forehead. I held a hand out to Carl and helped him up. And then the three of us got the hell out of there.

Carl thanked me as soon as we got outside.

"Well I sure as hell wasn't gonna leave you to become a human happy meal." I told him.

"What happened, is everyone is all right?"

Rick was running towards us.

"We're all fine, just got overrun, that's all." Maggie informed him.

"Dad, Mollie saved me. A walker grabbed my foot and she took it out." Carl spoke up.

Damn it Carl, I didn't want it to be a big deal. Now Rick was probably gonna get all upset. Oh God, I hoped he wasn't going to start crying. He didn't. Instead he reached out and hugged me. What the fuck?

"Thank you Mollie. I'm glad you're a part of our family." Rick voiced.

"Told you she was one of us." Carl interjected.

Family? One of them? I never thought I'd have a family again after I lost my sister. I was so touched. I actually started crying into Rick's shoulder. He just hugged me tighter. The whole thing must've looked really weird, but I didn't care. I had a family, and a pretty good one at that.

"Does this mean I can call you Uncle Rick?" I joked, wiping at my eyes.

"No, you may not call me that." Rick said.

"Oh well, worth a try." I retorted.

We all laughed at that, oh families.

Rick decided that we'd finish clearing out the cell block tomorrow when we had more people. Fine by me. I went to the back of the prison to get in some more practice with my crossbow. No walkers today, thank God. The sun was starting to set so I had to hurry before it got dark. I could hit my target almost every time, as long as I concentrated and did everything Daryl had shown me. I missed him. A lot. I hoped he'd be back soon. Like nowish would be nice. I just sighed as I went around to retrieve all my arrows. When I turned back around, Hershel was standing there.

"He'll be back, you got nothing to worry about." he said, trying to reassure me.

It actually made me feel slightly better.

"Thanks Hershel, you're probably right." I expressed, attempting to believe my own words.

"I'm sure he'll be back in the morning. Now come on, we gotta get inside before the sun goes down." Hershel reminded me.

I nodded and followed him back to the prison.

It was weird going into my cell for the night and not having Michonne there. I was worried about her too. And Glenn. It had really freaked me out today when I saw Carl go down beside me. To be honest, I really cared about everyone here and I worried about them constantly. These people were my family and I'd do anything for them. I knew I probably wasn't going to get much sleep, but I had to at least try. Unfortunately, my night was once again filled with recurring nightmares. This time I dreamt that Glenn and Michonne came back from their run, but Daryl wasn't with them. Michonne are tearfully inform me that he didn't make it. And then I would drop to my knees and sob. Someone started shaking me and calling my name. My eyes flew open. It was Maggie.

"When Glenn and I first got together, I used to have horrible dreams about something happening to him. Used to keep me up night. But he always came back to me. Sure, I still worry about him and I get scared every now then, but I know he's coming back. Same way I know Daryl'll come back to you." she supplied.

"Thanks Maggie." was all I could think of to say.

She just smiled and squeezed my hand, "Try to get some sleep, they'll probably be back in the morning."

I just nodded and closed my eyes.

_Thanks to everyone that's this supporting this story in some way, shape, or form, it means the world to me (: _


	7. Chapter 7

_Hi guys, hope you're all having a fantastic week. I still can't believe all the positive reception this story is getting, you guys are the best! I decided to get into some of Mollie's backstory this chapter and you'll learn more about her past as I get farther into the story. Alright here's 7 (: Still don't own anything._

Chapter 7

I woke up really early the next day, hoping that my friends had returned. No such luck. Damn it, what could be taking them so long?! I was really starting to freak out. Beth noticed and decided to give me Judith to distract me. It actually worked. I almost didn't believe it when Maggie told me what had happened to the baby's mother, Lori. It was so awful. Poor Rick, and Carl. For being born in this shitty world, Judith sure was a happy baby. I loved holding her. She made you forget about all the horrible things that were happening around you.

"You're really good with her."

I looked up and saw Maggie standing in the doorway.

"Thanks. I'm not as good as Beth, she's a natural." I voiced as I stood up with Judith.

"Yeah, Bethie's something special. You should see Daryl with her, that's something else. He calls her Lil Asskicker." Maggie informed me, laughing at the end.

I couldn't help but copy her, sounded like Dixon.

"I wish they'd hurry back." I said quietly.

Maggie came into my cell and took a seat on the cot.

"Did I ever tell you the story of how Glenn and I first got together?" she asked suddenly.

I shook my head and sat down opposite her. I had a feeling this was going to be a hell of a story.

Thank God I had Maggie here to help keep me sane. And Judith to keep my spirits up.

"I gotta hear this story now." I urged Maggie.

"Alright. It was back when we were still on Daddy's farm. Glenn went with me on a pharmacy run, hardly knew him at the time. So we get there and start gathering what we need, when I notice him picking up a package of condoms. I start giving him a hard time about being over confident and the poor guy gets all flustered. And next thing I know, I'm telling him that I'll have sex with him. I took off my shirt and bra, kissed him, and then we did it on the floor of an abandoned pharmacy." Maggie shared, seeming to enjoy reminiscing in the moment.

She started chuckling and I joined in.

"That's oddly romantic." I told her.

"You know, it kinda was. Man, seems like a life time ago." Maggie conveyed.

"Is it hard for you two to get away?" I inquired, feeling like I was at a sleepover or something.

"No, not really. You just gotta find the right places. For example, a guard tower or a storage garage." she answered cheekily.

"Oh my God, Maggie!"

"Just think, once you and Daryl get to that point, we can start swapping stories." she added excitedly.

"If we hook up in the guard tower, I promise you'll be the first to know." I assured her.

"I better be. Well, I gotta go help finish clearing out the cell block. I'm sure everybody'll be back by the time we're done." she said, trying to reassure me once again.

"Thanks Maggie, you being here has really helped." I expressed, meaning every word.

She just stepped forward and hugged me before heading off down the walkway.

I decided I should probably go find Beth to give Judith back to her. Plus I hadn't been out of my cell all day. I needed to go outside and do something to help out. Beth was in Zach's cell when I found her.

"They back yet?" she questioned as soon as she saw me.

"No, not yet. Hopefully soon though." I conveyed, trying not to let my spirits fall.

Beth gave me a sympathetic smile, "I'm sure they're fine. Need me to take Judith for a while?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind. I just need to make some contribution to this group today that doesn't involve moping around over Daryl." I explained.

She just nodded and took the baby from my arms. Sometimes I forgot that Beth was almost ten years younger than me. She was just so damn mature, and it made her seem years older. Truth be told, I was jealous of her because of her relationship with Maggie. It reminded me so much of my relationship with my sister, Kayla. The relationship we would've still had if not for this damn apocalypse. That day replayed itself in my mind. It crossed my thoughts more than I'd care to admit.

_Reports of attacks had been coming in all week. People were dying left and right, but they weren't staying dead... No, they were coming back to life and feasting on the living. I had witnessed some of these events up close and let me tell you, it was not a pretty sight. Atlanta would soon be overrun and I'd have to leave. But that time hadn't arrived yet. I still went to work at the bookstore that I ran with Kayla, Bookworms. Though I doubted we would have very many customers. My sister wasn't even there yet, which I found kinda strange. I called her phone. No answer. Now I was worried. I needed to know if she was okay so I jumped back in my car and headed to the house that she shared with her fiance, Michael. Those things were everywhere. The undead were taking over. Looks like I hadn't calculated accurately, Atlanta would soon be lost. I had to get to Kayla and Michael, and the three of us needed to get the hell out of the city._

_My heart sank as I turned onto her street. There were dead people scattered all over. I was utterly terrified. But somehow that fear propelled me forward. I pulled into Kayla and Michael's driveway, got out of the car and ran inside._

_"Kayla! Michael!" I called out as I frantically searched the house._

_There was no reply. I was close to tears._

_"Answer me damn it!" I shouted._

_And then I found them in the kitchen. My sister looked absolutely wrecked. She was sitting on the floor with her back against the cabinet and a bloody knife clutched in her hand._

_"Oh my God, what the hell happened?" I asked in disbelief as I knelt beside my sister._

_And then I saw him. Michael, sprawled out on the kitchen floor. Dead. He had several stab wounds. Blood was still oozing from the one at the top of his head. I looked back at Kayla Fresh tears were leaking out of her eyes._

_"Dumbass got bit and didn't tell me. I had no idea anything was wrong until. He changed. And then he tried to attack me. So I grabbed a knife and. Oh God Mollie I killed him!" my sister wailed, burying her face in her hands as she began to sob._

_I wanted nothing more than to sit there and cry with her, but we had to go._

_"They're all over the city now. Kayla, we gotta get out of here. And we have to go now." I stated, trying to pull her to her feet._

_She yanked her arms from my grip._

_"Kayla please." I begged, my voice breaking._

_"I can't go with you Mollie." was all she said as she stared at Michael's lifeless body._

_"What the hell are you talking about? I'm not leaving without you." I insisted._

_She just shook her head. Suddenly I realized the one thing that I'd refused to notice when I entered the kitchen. Kayla had a wound on her arm, the blood was soaking through her sleeve. She'd been bitten._

_"It's the bite that does it. I'll probably be dead by the end of the day."_

_"No. No! We'll leave right now, I'll take you to a hospital. We'll-"_

_"You know that won't work Mollie. You gotta get out of the city, but you gotta go without me."_

_"No. Kayla I can't." I cried._

_"You can and you will. But you gotta do me a favor first." my sister requested._

_"Shut up, you're not gonna die. You can't." my words got swallowed up in my sobs._

_"Listen to me Mollie, you have to do this for me. I don't wanna turn into one of those things. I refuse to. These things have a single weakness. Kill the brain, kill the monster. It's that simple."_

_"You're not asking me to." I started, horrified by the mere thought._

_"Actually I am. You gotta do this Moll. For me."_

_I backed away in a panic when she held out the bloody knife to me. No. I couldn't. I wouldn't._

_"Mollie please, do this one last thing for me." she urged, her voice breaking as well._

_I shakily took the knife from her hand._

_"One more thing. There's, there's a gun in a shoe box in the front hall closet. Take it before you leave here, you'll need it to protect yourself. Try to have a good life. It'll be hard, but I know you can do it."_

_"I'm so sorry." I sobbed as I gripped the knife in my hand._

_Kayla pulled me to her, "I love you."_

_"I love you too." I somehow managed to get out._

_And then I plunged the knife into my big sister's scalp, my cries of agony echoing through the empty house._

"Mollie, you're crying. What's wrong?" Beth asked, voice full of concern.

"Sorry. I was just remembering something. I'm alright." I answered, wiping at my eyes.

"Are you sure? You seem upset." she pressed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm gonna go see if anyone needs any help." I told her before exiting the cell block.

Maggie nearly ran me over when I stepped outside.

"Whoa, you're in a hurry." I remarked.

"Mollie, just the person I was looking for. They're back! Glenn, Daryl, and Michonne, they're all back!" she informed me excitedly.

She continued running towards the front of the prison. I took off after her, fueled by adrenaline. They were back!

_Hope you enjoyed this chapter and getting to learn a little bit more about Mollie. Thanks to all supporters as always (: Eight should be posted sometime this weekend!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Hey everybody, I am soooooo sorry it's taken me so long to update! I had finals for school and life kinda just got in the way :/ But I'm back now and I'll not to take this long again. Thank you again to everyone that supports this story, you're awesome (: Hope you enjoy chapter 8! Still don't own anything._

Chapter 8

I saw Glenn first. His face was being mauled by Maggie. This was pretty normal anytime they were reunited. Would it be like that when I saw Daryl? I wasn't even sure what I was feeling at the moment. I caught a glimpse of Michonne out of the corner of my eye.

"Michonne!" I shouted as I ran over to her.

I practically tackled her into a hug.

"What the hell Mollie, I was only gone for like a day." Michonne reminded me, laughing at my childish behavior.

"I know, I know. It was just kind of an emotional day." I explained.

"Alright, you have an excuse. This time." she said jokingly as she embraced me back.

I laughed, happy she was back safe and sound. I caught a glimpse of Daryl over her shoulder and my laughter immediately ceased. He caught my eye, the corners of his mouth raising into a smile. Michonne looked behind her and sighed, "Go on. We'll catch up later."

"Thanks Miche." I told her, grateful that she understood.

She just nodded and gave me a little push towards Daryl. He was only several steps away, but I ran to him nonetheless.

I reached him within seconds, throwing my arms around his neck and burying my face in his shoulder. I suddenly became aware of how well our bodies fit together. Daryl seemed to take notice of this too as his strong arms wound around me.

"You were supposed to wait in the shower, remember?" he said lightly.

I laughed at that.

"Damn I missed you." I voiced as I unhooked my arms from his neck.

"Feelin's mutual." he expressed, looking at me intently.

Daryl leaned down and gently pressed his lips to mine. I returned the kiss with equal softness. There would be a time and place for Daryl and I to explore this relationship, but it wasn't now, out here in front of everyone. We reluctantly broke apart and turned to see everyone staring at us.

"What're y'all starin' at, ain't nothin' to see here." Daryl stated, clearly surprised by the sudden attention.

There was that high school feeling again.

"He's right. We all still have jobs to do and it's gonna be dark before long." Rick reminded everyone.

The group dispersed and headed back towards the prison. Michonne suddenly appeared at my side.

"I hate to steal him from you Moll, but we gotta have a council meeting. Need to figure out what we're gonna do about the sudden buildup along the fences." she informed me.

"It's okay Michonne. That's what I get for having such a popular boyfriend I guess." I said lightly.

"Boyfriend? Now there's a title I never expected to have again." Daryl admitted.

"Alright Daryl, come on. Your _girlfriend_ will still be here when you get back." Michonne told him, emphasizing the word girlfriend.

"I guess I'll see ya later." Daryl started as he moved to follow Michonne.

"Oh, Mollie, can you give these to Carl for me?" Michonne asked, handing me a small stack of comic books.

"Sure, keep an eye on Daryl for me?" I questioned jokingly.

"Of course, won't let him out of my sight." she assured me.

"Alright, I'll catch up with you guys in a bit."

I hugged Michonne and gave Daryl a quick kiss on the cheek, and then headed back towards C Block.

I looked down at the comic books in my hand and smiled. Carl was going to be so happy. Michonne always brought something back for him, an example of her softer side. I remembered the brief glimpse I'd caught of her back in Woodbury. She was the last person I would've expected to become friends with. The woman had carried around a katana for fuck sake. She had hated me when I'd first arrived at the prison, think I was a little too domesticated for her taste. But I somehow managed to win her over. Personally, I think it was my compliment about the colorful glass cat in her cell.

"That is the most badass cat I've ever seen." I had told her.

She didn't seem to know what to say at the time, but then she smiled. I was amazed, up till then I had never seen her look happy.

"It is pretty damn gorgeous huh?" she had said back.

We had both laughed at that and the rest was history.

"Mollie!"

I turned to see Carl running towards me.

"Hey, I was just looking for you." I greeted him.

The mini Grimes eyed the comic books in my right hand.

"Are those for me?" he inquired hopefully.

"Did you ever think that maybe Michonne brings comic books back for me because I like them too?" I challenged.

"Come in Mollie, cut the bullshit." Carl retorted.

"Hey, watch your language." I teased, handing him the comics.

"Not gonna make any promises. Tell Michonne I said thanks." he requested.

"Tell her yourself, she's just at a council meeting. I'm sure she'll be done soon." I pointed out.

"Yeah I know, but I wanted to go see Judith. And I just figured that you'd see her first." Carl explained.

"Well, you would be wrong." Michonne interjected as she walked in the door.

"Wow, quick meeting." I commented.

"Yeah. We're just gonna keep doing what we're doing. Maybe try to improve the perimeter. Otherwise, those walkers are gonna bring the fences down." Michonne conveyed.

"Thanks for the comics." Carl piped up.

"You're welcome. Your dad wants to see you, better go find out what he wants." she advised him.

Carl just nodded and headed off.

"He's a good kid." Michonne voiced.

"Yeah, he is." I agreed.

"So, you got a boyfriend now. That's pretty exciting."

"Speaking of which, where is Dixon?" I queried, eager to see him.

"He's walking around the fence with Rick, think you might have some competition there." Michonne replied jokingly.

"Fucking Grimes, always stealing my boyfriend." I quipped back.

"That's real funny Mollie."

Speak of the man-stealing bastard. I whirled around to see Rick and Daryl standing at the end of the walkway.

"I thought you were gonna talk to Carl, we just sent him off to find you." Michonne informed Rick.

"Guess you were too busy with Daryl." I said, poking fun.

"Mollie." Rick warned.

"Alright, sorry. I'm done." I promised.

"Good. I'm gonna go find Carl, he should be pretty close by. Sun'll be down soon so try not to stay out too long." Rick requested before heading off to find his son.

That was one thing that the prison had in common with Woodbury, a curfew. I knew it was safer that way though so I didn't really mind.

"Think I'm gonna go for a walk. You two, stay out of trouble." Michonne expressed, indicating me and Daryl.

"We'll do our best." was Daryl's sarcastic response.

I was really going to have time alone with him? It was starting to feel like one of those rare days. A good day.

Unsure. That was how I felt about how to approach this new found relationship. Daryl was a pretty quiet guy, and I knew that he wouldn't just open up to me. We were seated side by side on the cot in my cell. I decided to start with something small.

"How did the run go?" I asked him.

"Not bad. Got what we needed and didn't lose anybody. How'd everything go here?" he questioned back.

"Not great, but I managed." I answered honestly.

"Did something happen?" Daryl inquired further, meeting my eyes.

"We just had a close call with Carl yesterday. And, I was thinking about my sister today. What happened back, back in Atlanta." I replied, my voice growing quieter.

"You wanna talk about it?" he offered, the gesture taking me by surprise.

Daryl knew I'd come from Atlanta and that I'd had a sister, but I'd never told him the whole story. Seemed like now was a good time to change that. I sighed and began recounting the single most horrifying experience of my life. Daryl listened intently and was patient whenever I got too choked up for words. He even took my hand at one point and didn't let go until I was finished talking. I was seeing a different side of him, a more tender side. There was so much more to Daryl than what was on the surface, and I was excited for us to learn more about each other. Daryl seemed to feel the same cause the next thing he said was, "Merle had already turned when I found him."

I knew about Merle. Hell I'd known him when I was living at Woodbury. I had never really liked him, he was kind of an asshole. I'd been amazed to discover that he was Daryl's brother. I knew he had died, but I didn't the know the circumstances surrounding his death.

"I kinda lost it when I saw him. I was yellin' and cryin'. He started comin' at me and I just shoved away. Every time he got close I just pushed him again. Until I couldn't do it anymore. So I took my knife and drove it into his head. Again and again. Till I didn't know what I was stabbin' anymore."

He sounded so broken. It made me hurt to see him like this.

"Daryl, I'm so sorry." I told him, wishing I had better words.

"Sorry about your sister." he said back.

There was a moment of silence.

"Merle hit on me once. I don't think I've ever met anyone so crude." I voiced, trying to lighten up the mood.

Daryl chuckled and I couldn't help but laugh too.

"Yeah, Merle was an asshole, no way around it. Can you blame him though, pretty girl like you."

I couldn't wait anymore. I brought my lips to Daryl's in one swift motion.

"Was hoping you'd do that." he murmured against my mouth.

"Somebody had to." I teased.

"Shut up." Daryl quipped back as his lips hungrily descended on mine.

_Sorry to leave you hanging there (; And I sincerely apologize it took me so long to update. Thanks to all readers, reviewers, favoriters, and followers! Try to have another chapter up soon!_


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